As well as a wonderful selection of features at this year’s Celluloid Screams film festival in Sheffield, we got some short treats too.
Here’s our verdicts –
Hana
Putting an interesting spin on the problem child narrative, Hana tells the story of a young girl who can’t seem to nail down a good babysitter.
Although the twist is quite easy to suss this was entertaining none the less.
Mystery Box
From the Directors of Puppet Master: The Littlest Reich comes Mystery Box which is an exercise in suspense before cutting loose.
A young woman discovers a box whilst trauling her fishing nets but what she finds could have deadly and mythical consequences.
The Day My Mother Became a Monster
I was quite surprised by this one as what starts as a basic body horror becomes something quite compelling and endearing.
After a veterinarian mother contracts a virus her transformation to a beast begins but how will her young daughter react?
At times horrific but very well made.
Sock Monster
A journey in PTSD this monster short stars Derek Meats, who once donned Jason’s hockey mask.
We follow a young mother having flashbacks to an incident involving her daughter which is eluded to but never explained fully; which works well as it drives the narrative.
And what could have become hokey comes across as slightly scary; a fun short.
Tick
An interesting spin on the vampire mythology as we’re put in the shoes of a family of vampires on the run.
Seen as parasites we see them more as exploited victims than beasts. Tick crams tonnes of exposition in a short run time.
Beautifully shot and at times brutal.
Bloody Flicks 